Is Chinas Economy Tanking?
The Chinese government recently released economic data showing that China’s GDP growth fell to 6.8% in the fourth quarter of 2008. Given that double-digit growth has become the norm for the East Asian powerhouse, many observers are wondering out loud – “Is China’s economy tanking?” To address that question and the numerous issues that it raises, Carnegie assembled a distinguished panel: Pieter Botellier, an economist and China scholar who has served as a Senior Adjunct Professor at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies since 1999; Donald Hanna, a Managing Director and Global Head of the Emerging Markets team in the Economic and Market Analysis department at Citigroup in New York; and Carnegie’s Albert Keidel. Carnegie’s Michael Swaine moderated the event. Unemployment Challenges Botellier noted that China’s slowdown began in the second half of 2007, well before the onset of the global economic crisis. He predicted that while China is unlikely to achieve do
